Green Infrastructure Grant Program:
Board of Supervisors Update
January – March 2024
Program Summary
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s (SFPUC) Green Infrastructure Grant Program (Grant Program) is designed to encourage San Francisco properties to design, build, and maintain performance-based green stormwater infrastructure (Green Infrastructure or GI), including but not limited to: permeable pavement, rainwater harvesting, rain gardens, and vegetated roofs. The purpose of the Green Infrastructure Grant Program is to improve the performance of SFPUC’s sewer system by reducing the amount of stormwater runoff entering the system, while delivering public benefits that enhance the quality of life of SFPUC rate payers.
To receive funding under the Grant Program each project must:
1. Be located on a parcel that is connected to an SFPUC-owned and operated sewer system service area.
2. Manage stormwater runoff from a minimum impervious area of 0.5 acres.
3. Capture the 90th percentile storm (0.75-inch depth) with the proposed green infrastructure features.
4. Provide at least two (2) of the identified co-benefits from the program list, which can be found in the Grantee Guidebook.
5. Have a grant team that collectively demonstrates a history of successful project implementation and has previous experience designing, constructing, and/or maintaining green infrastructure, and be in good standing in all currently active Green Infrastructure Grant Program projects.
More information on the Grant Program can be found at http://www.sfpuc.org/gigrants.
Quarterly Highlights
During the reporting period, SFPUC announced its awards for the Fall 2023 application cycle. Three applications were received for the Fall 2023 cycle and three applications were awarded grants, totaling just over $3.6M in total funding: Mariners Village, Cornerstone Academy Cambridge, and Cornerstone Academy Silver.
In March 2024, the Grants Team announced the Spring 2024 application cycle, which closes on June 3rd. The team sent an e-blast to over 300 prospective applicants, posted the Spring 2024 Solicitation to the program website and at Main Branch of the Public Library, and began outreach for the Spring application cycle by conducting three site visits at prospective properties. Included in the e-blast was an invitation to join a virtual workshop on the grant program, which is scheduled for April 3rd, 2024.
During the reporting period, two projects (Crocker Amazon Park, St. Anne of the Sunset) completed construction, one project (St. Emydius) continued construction, and nine projects (Project Artaud,
Buchanan Street Mall, Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8, Everett Middle School, El Dorado Elementary School, Church of the Visitacion, St. Thomas More School, St. Monica, and St. Thomas the Apostle) continued design and community engagement.
Program Statistics (February 2019 – March 2024)
Since the launch of the Green Infrastructure Grant Program in February 2019, the SFPUC has awarded grants to 23 projects with a total of approximately $23.7M in funding. The following program summary statistics are as of March 31, 2024:
• Applications Received: 23
• Applications Awarded: 23
• Active Projects: 17
• Projects Completed: 5
• Total Funding Awarded: $23.65M
• Potential Stormwater Captured by Awarded Projects: 15 million gallons per year • Property Site Visits Conducted by Technical Team: 61
• Site Opportunities Assessments Completed: 31
• Presentations Given to Stakeholders: 11
• Publications and Media pick-ups: 3
Green Infrastructure Grant Program Awarded Projects to Date Project Name Status Watershed Grant Amount Impervious Area Managed (acres)
Estimated Stormwater
Volume Managed (gal/yr)
Lafayette Elementary School Complete Sunset $487,891 0.6 341,000 St. Thomas More Church & School Design Phase Lake Merced $1,118,958 1.5 782,000 Bessie Carmichael Middle School Complete Channel $521,427 0.6 233,000 Lycee Francais SF Ortega Campus Complete Sunset $480,958 0.6 358,000 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Withdrawn Lake Merced $127,041 - - Crocker Amazon Park Construction Complete Sunnydale $859,151 1.1 593,000 St. Thomas the Apostle Church & School Design Phase Sunset $724,227 0.9 483,000 St. Monica Catholic Church & School Design Phase Richmond $641,413 0.8 394,000 St. Anne of the Sunset Church & School Construction Complete Sunset $1,557,898 2.0 1,089,000 St. Emydius Church & School In Construction Lake Merced $873,136 0.9 445,000 Church of the Visitacion Church & School Design Phase Sunnydale $1,727,103 1.9 925,000 Project Artaud Design Phase Channel $684,409 0.8 377,000 El Dorado Elementary School Design Phase Sunnydale $1,412,016 1.6 800,000 Visitacion Valley Elementary School Awarded Fall 2022 Sunnydale $883,092 1.0 489,000 Everett Middle School Design Phase Channel $1,874,496 2.0 1,060,000 Buena Vista Horace Mann School Design Phase Channel $629,423 0.7 318,000 Buchanan Street Mall Design Phase Channel $595,200 0.6 365,000 Louis Sutter Playground Awarded Spring 2023 Yosemite $831,473 1.0 488,000 Thurgood Marshall High School Awarded Spring 2023 Islais Creek $1,999,465 2.2 1,166,000 Visitacion Valley Middle School Awarded Spring 2023 Sunnydale $1,999,967 4.4 2,250,000 Mariners Village Awarded Fall 2023 Islais Creek $1,154,174 1.2 672,000 Cornerstone Academy, Cambridge Awarded Fall 2023 Yosemite $1,509,857 1.6 792,000 Cornerstone Academy, Silver Awarded Fall 2023 Islais Creek $958,405 1.0 554,000 Total $23,651,180 29.0 14,974,000
St Anne of the Sunset (construction complete)
Completed construction of new permeable walkway and rain gardens
Completed construction of new permeable parking area
Crocker Amazon Park (construction complete)
Completed construction of new planting in rain garden at parking lot entrance